by Chris Gosier
Fordham Now
Even as the rate of inflation subsided in 2023, the amount of stress it was causing in the U.S. population actually ticked up—indicating that researchers need to pay more attention to how people are affected by rising prices for food, fuel, housing, and other basic needs over time.
That’s according to a study co-authored by Fordham economics professor Sophie Mitra, Ph.D., and researchers in health-related fields at other universities. It shows that after four decades in which inflation stayed low and didn’t pose a serious problem in America, the mental health impacts of its spike in the past few years are ripe for study, Mitra said.
“That’s an open field in terms of research,” she said. “We know … that unemployment has very detrimental effects on mental health, and that a job loss can lead to depression and other negative mental health outcomes.” Inflation has received less study, but seems to be “a very important potential determinant of well-being, including mental health,” she said.